18 
CULTIYATION OF THE PINEAPPLE WITHOUT POTS. 
is very keen and frosty. A high night-temperature should at all times be carefully avoided, 
as I feel satisfied that nothing is more detrimental to the healthy development of both plant 
and fruit : the night-temperature should range from 50° to 65°, according to the season 
and period of their growth. I would here beg leave to remind my readers, that this is not 
merely theory advanced, but proved by practice, and it is to this assimilation of their treat- 
ment to those circumstances, in which they are placed in their natural habitat, that I attribute 
the degree of perfection which our fruits attain, both in size and flavour. 
I may mention another useful lesson which we may learn by studying the natural climate 
of the West Indian islands. Notwithstanding the intense power of the perpendicular rays 
of the sun, the vegetation of these islands is protected from bright gleams by a succession 
of light flying clouds, which, during the hottest part of the day, in the most sultry months, 
continually pass over the sun, and by interrupting its rays, contribute to moderate the heat. 
From this we may exactly understand when it is necessary to use shading. It will require 
more particular attention when several days of dull weather are succeeded by very bright 
gleamy sunshine ; and the plants, whose fruits are approaching maturity, should be espe- 
cially guarded from these scorching rays, as it frequently happens that splendid shows are 
ruined in appearance by a little neglect in this particular ; while, by paying careful atten- 
tion to shading, and by keeping up a moist atmosphere, many ounces may be added to the 
weight of the fruit ; and if due care is paid to ventilation, as before recommended, this may 
be efi^ected without deteriorating its quality. 
With regard to the use of manure- water, I consider that under the planting-out system, 
its application, during the growth of the plant, is rather injurious than otherwise. As the 
plants are not confined at their roots, as they are when grown in pots, stimulants, in the 
earlier stages of their growth, are unnecessary, and cause them to grow too luxuriantly for 
the proper elaboration of their sap. As soon as the fruit is set, manure-water may be 
applied with very great advantage until the swelling is completed ; at this time, the whole 
energy of the plant is directed to the perfecting of the fruit, and by using liquid manure we 
do not merely assist nature, but stimulate her to do her utmost. The liquid, when used, 
should be perfectly clear, and should be applied over head until the fruit is more than half 
swelled. As it is essential that the liquid be quite clear when used, it is worth while to be 
at a little trouble to obtain it in that state, not only for the use of Pines, but for general 
purposes. It may be most systematically manufactured by having two tanks constructed, 
either of iron, or of brick and cement ; the latter, being the cheaper of the two, is to be 
preferred ; the two tanks should be placed side by side, and the bottom of the larger one, 
which should be capable of holding from sixty to one hundred gallons, according to the 
requirements of the place, should be nearly on a level with the top of the smaller one, which 
should be large enough to allow of the water being laded out with a large watering can. If 
regular midden soak is not come-at-able, the very best of manure- water may be made by 
collecting the droppings from a sheep pasture, and liquefying them in the tank. The manure- 
water should be poured into the larger tank, and about a bushel of soot added to every 
thirty gallons of liquid : after these ingredients have been well mixed, a few spadesful of 
charcoal may be thrown in, which acts as a clarifier ; after all sedimentary matters are 
precipitated, the clear liquid should be drawn off into the smaller tank by means of a tap or 
plug placed a few inches from the bottom of the larger tank. The soot, besides contributing 
to the vigour and health of the plant, possesses the valuable property of destroying whatever 
animal life the manure may contain, either in the egg, larva, or more perfect stages. 
By planting the pits at different seasons, and by filling up all vacancies as soon as they 
occur, a succession of fruit may be depended on at all seasons of the year ; as the period 
of time requisite for bringing a fruit to perfection varies from eighteen to twenty-four months. 
The great advantages of this system over the old, troublesome, and often tantalising one 
of pot culture, consist in the perfect control which the gardener has over his plants, and the 
power it gives him of supplying not only the exact amount of top-heat he wishes, but he has 
the same control over the bottom-heat also. There is no danger of getting the plants 
burned at one time and starved at another, and with the removal of these difficulties, the 
never-ending expense and trouble connected with the moving of the plants, and the renewal 
of the tan, is almost entirely done away with. Under the old system, it frequently happened 
that a whole pit was thrown into fruit at once, causing a glut at one season, and a corre- 
sponding deficiency for months afterwards. 
It has been urged against this system, that it takes away from the cultivator the power 
